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Jepson eFlora Family Key to Group 10

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]


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Group 10: Flowers with 2 or more free (or apparently free) pistils


1. Perianth 0 or of 1 whorl, generally called sepals even when petal-like
2. Hypanthium present ..... ROSACEAE (4) {G15,21,22,23}
2' Hypanthium 0
3. Trees; leaves palmately lobed ..... PLATANACEAE {G7,9,12}
3' Herbs or woody vines; leaves various
4. Plant terrestrial or if aquatic with emergent leaves ..... RANUNCULACEAE (2)
4' Plant aquatic with submersed or floating leaves
5. Perianth parts 1–4
6. Perianth part 1, white, petal-like, enlarging and turning green in age; stamens 6–18; fruit follicle, 4-seeded ..... APONOGETONACEAE {G2}
6' Perianth parts 4, green or ± brown, sepal-like; stamens 4; fruit achene-like drupe, 1-seeded ..... POTAMOGETONACEAE {G2,13}
5' Perianth ± 0
7. Flowers 
bisexual 
image missingBoth male and female reproductive parts occurring and functional in the same plant or structure (e.g., flower, spikelet, inflorescence).
, borne along axis of initially short-peduncled 
spike 
image missing1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, an unbranched inflorescence in which the flowers are sessile and nearly always open from the bottom to the top of the inflorescence. 2. In Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a spike-like inflorescence is one in which the inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae; spikelets in Cyperaceae and Poaceae), instead of individual flowers, are sessile and attached directly to the main axis of the inflorescence, not to branches, and in which floral development may or may not proceed as in 1.
, 
peduncle 
image missingStalk of an individual flower borne singly, not in an inflorescence, or of an entire inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit; the stalk subtending an involucre (e.g., in Asteraceae, Polygonaceae).
elongating in fruit; stamens 2; pistils (2)4(8); ovary stalk in fruit 12–35 mm; fruit ± ovoid, smooth, beak 0.5–1 mm ..... RUPPIACEAE {G2,8,13}
7' Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate together in 
sessile 
image missingWithout a petiole, peduncle, pedicel, or other kind of stalk.
, 2-flowered 
axillary 
image missingPertaining to or within an axil, especially a leaf axil.
cluster; stamen 1; pistils (1)4–5(9); ovary stalk in fruit 0.1–1.5 mm; fruit abaxially curved, minutely roughened, beak 0.7–2 mm ..... ZANNICHELLIACEAE {G2,8,13}
1' Perianth of 2 or more whorls or spirals, the outer generally called sepals, the inner generally called petals
8. Leaves and often stems thick and fleshy; pistils generally as many as petals or sepals — stamens 1–2 × as many ..... CRASSULACEAE {G19}
8' Leaves and stems not very thick and fleshy; number of pistils same as or different from number of sepals or petals
9. Perianth parts in 3s
10. Leaves compound
11. Tree with unbranched trunk; leaves 4–7 m, leaflets many ..... ARECACEAE (Phoenix) {G7,9}
11' Annual; leaves <= 6 cm, leaflets 3–5 — carpels actually united by common style ..... LIMNANTHACEAE (Floerkea) {G16}
10' Leaves 
simple 
image missingComposed of a single part; undivided; unbranched.
12. Flowers solitary — sepals and petals all similar, ± white or ± red-purple; leaves floating and 
peltate 
image missingWith the stalk attached toward the middle, not at a margin, of a flat structure such as an indusium, scale, or leaf.
or some or all submersed and dissected ..... CABOMBACEAE
12' Flowers several–many in raceme- to panicle-like inflorescence
13. Sepals green, petals white (pink) ..... ALISMATACEAE {G2}
13' Sepals and petals the same color, ± white to green or ± red
14. Inflorescence bractless — carpels actually ± fused, separating in fruit ..... JUNCAGINACEAE {G2,13,16}
14' Inflorescence bracted
15. Ovules many per carpel; fruits 
erect 
image missingUpright; vertically oriented.
— carpels actually proximally fused [may appear ± free] ..... MELANTHIACEAE {G16}
15' Ovules 1–3 per carpel; fruits 
spreading 
image missingOriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.
..... SCHEUCHZERIACEAE {G2}
9' Perianth parts generally in 4s or 5s or indefinite in number
16. Stamens > 2 × as many as petal-like perianth segments or > 15
17. Plants obviously woody; shrubs or trees
18. Crushed leaves strongly aromatic; leaves 
opposite 
image missing1. Arranged in pairs along an axis - e.g., two leaves per node. 2. Occurring in the same rank, directly above or below, as 'stamens opposite petals'. 3. Located directly across from.
..... CALYCANTHACEAE
18' Crushed leaves not aromatic; leaves 
alternate 
image missing1. Arranged singly, often spirally, along an axis - e.g., one leaf per node. 2. Occurring in different ranks, appearing to be between, not directly above or below, as 'stamens alternate petals'.
19. Flowers solitary; seeds with arils ..... CROSSOSOMATACEAE (2)
19' Flowers clustered; seeds without arils ..... ROSACEAE (4) {G15,21,22,23}
17' Plants herbaceous or slightly woody at base
20. Hypanthium present ..... ROSACEAE (4) {G15,21,22,23}
20' Hypanthium 0
21. Sepals enlarging and persisting around fruit; stamens maturing from flower center toward edge ..... PAEONIACEAE
21' Sepals deciduous as flower opens or withering as fruit matures; stamens maturing from flower edge toward center
22. Sepals 2–3(4), falling as flower opens, not petal-like; carpels actually weakly fused in flower, ± separating in age ..... PAPAVERACEAE (Platystemon)
22' Sepals 4–many, present in open flowers, sometimes petal-like; carpels generally wholly free ..... RANUNCULACEAE (2)
16' Stamens 2 × as many as petals or fewer
23. Petals fused, at least at base
24. Plant 
erect 
image missingUpright; vertically oriented.
, 
prostrate 
image missingLying flat on the ground.
, or twining; flowers generally conspicuous, not concealed by leaves; ovules many per ovary; milky latex generally present — carpels proximally free but actually united by common stigma ..... APOCYNACEAE {G19}
24' Plant 
prostrate 
image missingLying flat on the ground.
, mat-forming; flowers minute, subsessile, 
axillary 
image missingPertaining to or within an axil, especially a leaf axil.
, generally concealed by leaves; ovules 1–2 per ovary; milky latex 0 ..... CONVOLVULACEAE (Dichondra) {G19}
23' Petals free but sometimes attached to a disk-like to tubular 
hypanthium 
image missingStructure generally in the shape of a tube, cup, or bowl, derived from the fused lower portions of the perianth and stamens, from which these parts seem to arise, and to which the ovary wall is fused in an inferior ovary (to which the ovary wall is partially fused in a half-inferior ovary; from which the ovary is free in a superior ovary).
25. Hypanthium well developed
26. Leaves 
simple 
image missingComposed of a single part; undivided; unbranched.
, 
basal 
image missingAt or near the base of a plant or plant part. Especially said of leaves clustered near the ground or of a placenta confined to the base of an ovary.
or cauline; stipules often 0; veins generally 
palmate 
image missingMore than two structures or parts (e.g., veins, lobes, or leaflets) radiating from a common point in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane).
; ovules generally several–many per carpel — carpels slightly fused proximally but free most of their length ..... SAXIFRAGACEAE (2) {G20,21,24}
26' Leaves 
simple 
image missingComposed of a single part; undivided; unbranched.
or compound, generally cauline; stipules generally present; veins often 
pinnate 
image missingFeather-like; pertaining to veins, lobes, leaflets, or other structures arranged in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane) along either side of an axis; a leaf is odd-pinnate if there is a terminal leaflet, even-pinnate if there is not, and either odd- or even-pinnate may be 1-pinnate (blade divided into primary leaflets), 2-pinnate (primary leaflets divided into secondary leaflets), 3-pinnate (secondary leaflets divided into tertiary leaflets), etc.
; ovules generally 1–2 per carpel


25' Hypanthium 0 or inconspicuous
28. Plant herbaceous
29. Annual; ovule 1 per ovary; leaves pinnately divided or compound — carpels actually united by common style ..... LIMNANTHACEAE (Limnanthes) {G20}
29' Perennial herb; ovules several–many per ovary; leaves 
simple 
image missingComposed of a single part; undivided; unbranched.
and 
entire 
image missingHaving margins that are continuous and smooth (i.e., without teeth, lobes, etc.).
or variously toothed to palmately lobed or compound ..... SAXIFRAGACEAE (2) {G20,21,24}
28' Plant woody
30. Leaves pinnately compound ..... SIMAROUBACEAE (Ailanthus) {G7,9,20}
30' Leaves 
simple 
image missingComposed of a single part; undivided; unbranched.
, 
entire 
image missingHaving margins that are continuous and smooth (i.e., without teeth, lobes, etc.).
, sometimes scale-like
31. Flowers solitary in 
leaf 
image missingOrgan arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).
 axils; fruit a cluster of 
follicles 
image missingDry fruit from a simple pistil, dehiscent on only one side, along a single suture. A single flower may develop into a simple fruit of 1 follicle or an aggregate fruit of several follicles.
; leaves 
elliptic 
image missingIn the shape of a flattened circle or ellipse; wider than linear
, persistent or drought-deciduous ..... CROSSOSOMATACEAE (2)
31' Flowers in dense 
panicles 
image missing1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a branched inflorescence in which the basal or lateral flowers (or some of them) open before the terminal or central flowers on any axis. 2. In Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a panicle-like inflorescence is one in which at least some of the inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae; spikelets in Cyperaceae and Poaceae), instead of individual flowers, are attached (stalked or unstalked) to branches and not directly to the main axis of the inflorescence and in which floral development may or may not proceed as in 1.
; fruit cluster of ± dry drupes; leaves scale-like to narrowly 
oblong 
image missingLonger than wide, with nearly parallel sides; wider than linear.
, early-deciduous — shrub with thorny green stems ..... SIMAROUBACEAE (Castela) {G7,9,23}

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